As per recent press reports relating to the ground realities in connection with the envisaged activities to be handled by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) to stem as far as possible the growing menace of child abuse, it is pertinent to review the manifold causes and magnitude of the currently proliferating vicious aspects of the entire problematic situation.

The incidence of child sex abuse is widely known, particularly of the homosexual kind, prevalent in the tourist beach resort neighbourhoods.

The most degrading and pathetic situation that calls for urgent social and religious reformative and punitive measures is the incestuous sex abuse and misconduct committed in certain domestic and allied areas that leave a trail of traumatic guilt conscience and remorse in the victims.

The other deplorable misconduct is the homosexual abuse committed by some of the unscrupulous members of the clergy in temples, churches and kovils where young girls too and other women are reported to have been raped or molested on various occasions.

The recent revelations of the child sex abuses connected with certain orphanages and child care centres managed by charitable organizations pin point the fact that these shockingly disgusting sex abuses are proliferating to alarming proportions in state controlled child refugee centres around the country.

Exposures of such misconduct aided and abetted by the very staff and guardians entrusted with the care and sustenance of the forlorn destitute children highlighted in the media have caused island-wide concern and perturbation. These beastly type of activities call for immediate and firm deterrent remedial measures with a view to crushing and eliminating them in this so-called religiously guided country where a humanely nurtured societal order is said to be in existence.

It is mostly money that is the root of all evil but the magnitude of resultant social evils in the past was not that high as at present and had been in a manageable proportion with possibility of reformation. Such evils were few and far apart in that controlled economy and social order.

With the open economy and free market exploitation gaining ground and extending their tentacles to every section of society both the well to do and poverty stricken directed their attention and desire to acquire money and wealth to satisfy their diverse needs and physical comforts in the case of the ordinary people and to wallow in luxury and pursue added physical thrills and carnal pleasures in the case of the well to do. With the intent to keep up with the Joneses or ride over them almost all of our people have become confused in their priorities as to what is good and bad and begun to run amok in their greed to achieve untold unwanted heights of lifestyles and perverted carnal pleasures.

Laxity in morals leading to the search for novel thrills and prohibited sex experiences and adventurous aberrations had upsurged to uncontrollable proportions as a direct consequence of the globally spreading pornographic magazines, books and blue films produced and exhibited to cater for the thrill seekers of the common or garden variety and for the jaded wealthy and insatiable jet set runners in all strata of society. Drugs such as heroin in the open market and new fangled varieties of the "Extasy" kind together with the semi or full nude shows in night clubs have added in varied measures to the growth of sex perversions and sex crimes in society.

However, it will not be impossible to keep the illicit manipulations of visious circles under control at least to some semblance of decency and humaneness in our social order if those vested with the authority of maintaining law and order perform their duties conscientiously. Those who run the administration together with law enforcement officials should exercise unceasing control, enquiry, supervision and constant vigilant checks and maintain discipline in all ranks with a view to closing loopholes and avoiding not only sex exploitation but all other destructive and inhuman activities in all ranks of society.

What is called for in the present circumstances is strong deterrent punitive action by accelerated law enforcement.

The state and government high command should keep their erring politicians and their kith and kin under check and control or get rid of them if they are not amenable to discipline, without allowing them to cause irreparable harm and damage not only to community and the country but also to their political party hierarchy. It has been revealed in most cases that the law enforcement authorities are unable to maintain law and order and bring to book the concerned offenders due largely to the interference and intimidation by politicians of the party in power.

The saddest feature of all these sordid spisodes in that our own people both men and women who function as the trustees, caretakers and matrons of child care homes and such other institutions lured by the filthy lucre act as brokers or agents in the despicable business of providing innocent helpless children to some of the foreigners, the so-called do gooders who masquerade as donors and dispensers of charity and largesse to orphanages. Some of them are in reality insatiable exotic thrill seekers, most of these Jaded and unsatisfied rich men and women who have nothing else to do in their homes drift to these parts in search of new pastures and stimulating adventures and prevail upon those who run the improve rished orphanages to accept them as god fathers by offering financial and material support.

It must however be stressed that it is not all of our generous foreign visitors who misbehave in this manner. It is only a few unscrupulous of them who engage in such nefarious activities.

Our probation and child care services officials should be directed to pay greater attention to the strict supervision of these child care homes particularly some of those run by private and religious organizations by making regular and surprise visits and carefully examining the norms and modes employed in the conduct of these institutions and ensure the closure of all loop holes against irregularities such as earning a fast buck by the caretakers and attendants in the misuse of not only materials and funds but also the physical entities of those helpless children housed in the refugee homes.

If the officials and functionaries in all our departments are able to carry out their duties conscientiously without let or hindrance most of the problems cold be fairly satisfactorily solved and the betterment of the depressed and deprived could be assured.

The state/government administration should ensure that the legislations enacted for the welfare and protection of the people at large are correctly and effectively implemented as an insurance against the manifold social evils and injustices in the country.

As editorially pointed out and clearly amplified by all of our national newspapers what is urgently required to prevent sexual exploitation of helpless children is effective implementation of the enacted rules and regulations and dedicated service by the concerned officials. Ceaseless vigilance and supportive co-operation from well meaning civic minded people is also necessary for the success of all preventive campaigns, in this context.

pink

Post subject: AIDS horror for 7 Lankan children?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:41 pm

AIDS horror for 7 Lankan children?

By Susitha R. Fernando Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Seven children who were allegedly sexually abused by a Swiss AIDS victim are to be medically examined on orders given yesterday by the Colombo Chief Magistrate .

Chief Magistrate Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena made this order when the seven children who were allegedly abused by the Swiss national five years ago were produced in court by INTERPOL officers.

The Sri Lanka branch of INTERPOL had found these children following information given by the Swiss INTERPOL who had arrested the suspect Raven Christopher on charges of sexually abusing a child there. During interrogation the suspect had said he suffered from AIDS and during a visit to Sri Lanka in 2000 he had abused 7 children.

The HIV tests are to be done on the children at the Sri Lanka National hospital and the case will be taken up again on August 4

Naamali2

Post subject: 196 cases of child abuse reported in 2005 — NCPA

Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 2:38 am

196 cases of child abuse reported in 2005 — NCPA

By Kumudu AmarasinghamTML / 03MAY2006

One hundred and ninety six cases of child sex abuse were reported in 2005 alone according to National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) statistics.

Grave incest by members of the family, including extended family, amounted to 43 cases while 128 cases of grave incest by outsiders were reported. A total of 25 cases of molestation were reported, including by family members and outsiders.

NCPA data revealed that teachers had committed 31 cases of incest in cases reported by outsiders.

Adults, usually within the family or in the neighbourhood, reported the cases, according to Chairperson, NCPA, Padma Wettewa.

Wettewa said while the figures may seem deceptively low, many of the cases went unreported as child protection was still a relatively new concept.

She added that cases that occurred within families mostly went unreported due to the stigma attached.